The legendary Eurovision Song Contest Duo Mattis Hætta and Sverre Kjeldsberg meet together on stage tonight, 30 years after their participation in the contest.
"Sámiid Ædnan" ("Lapland"/"Sami Earth") was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980. The words of the song were performed in Norwegian by Sverre Kjelsberg, while Mattis Hætta contributed with yoik - a Sami form of vocal music without words; the title of the song is however in one of the North-Norwegian Sami dialects, translating as "Sami Earth" or "Sami Soil".
The song is inspired by the autonomy movement among the Sami people of northern Norway, with the duo singing that the demand for autonomy was made in a very subdued manner. Mention is also made of the traditional music of the region, the yoik, which is described as being "stronger than gunpowder" in the lyrics. The line "framførr tinget der dem satt, hørtes joiken dag og natt" (in front of the parliament where they sat, the yoik was heard day and night), refers to a hunger strike by Sami activists in front of the Norwegian parliament building in connection with the Alta controversy shortly before.
At the close of voting, it had received 15 points, placing 16th in a field of 19. Still, the song is one of the most famous in the Norwegian Eurovision Song Contest history. Every Norwegian is able to sing the refrain lines of the song.